Shadow Dance
by Spade111
Summary: Zuko is seemingly bored with life, that is before he stumbles upon a person who is both mysterious and beautiful, yet would kill you without a second thought. Rated for violence and death.
1. Death

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own The Avatar. Bursts into tears.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! This is my first ever Avatar fanfic, so I would appreciate it if you could give me your thoughts on my story, writing, etc. Reviews are defintely motivation for me to keep writing so I hope you like it and read, review, and enjoy.

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**Chapter 1: Death's Touch**

Prince Zuko sat in the shade of a tree, his hat angled low as to hide his face. For four hours he had been waiting for his Uncle to return and still there was no sign of him. Prince Zuko could feel the steam hiss out of his nostrils as he tried to control his anger. _Where is he? He said he was only going to get some food, it shouldn't be taking him this long! _

Zuko stood up and brushed off his Earth bender clothing, a shiver of disgust going through his body as he did so. _This is pathetic. I, Prince Zuko, have to stoop so low as to garner the weak colors of an Earthbender. Where has my honor gone? Why should I have to beg for food? _Before he could lose himself within his thoughts, Zuko resolutely calmed himself and set his task on finding his Uncle, who had to be somewhere within the local vicinity.

An hour later, Zuko found his uncle playing a game of py-sho with some old peasant. The two men were laughing and talking rauciously, most of the people passing by would turn their heads to see who was causing the commotion and then shake their heads as if it was futile to attempt to get them to quiet down. Embarassed, Prince Zuko navigated his way towards Iroh and swallowed the fire in his throat as he prepared to deal with two rambling old men.

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She was gorgeous; every man in the room knew so and wanted her all the more. They watched, hypnotized, as the veiled woman, shook her hips and rolled her body to the lilting music of the musicians from the far right corner of the room. Her long brown hair, which had been braided into many small, yet long, braids swung as she tossed back her head and stretched back her creamy tan neck.

There were gasps as the men watched her dance; never before had they met such an enticing woman. Yet, the face of the woman was slightly smiling beneath the veil, her cerulean blue eyes, which were the only thing the men were able to see of her face, were as cold as ice and were hard with hatred. However, the lecherous men didn't notice her penetrating glare, the only thing they were aware of, was her scantily clad body in her low cut tight tank top with her low riding billowing skirt, and her bare feet.

When the dance was ended, she received hoots and whistles from the men, all begging her for more. Yet she merely shook her head, saying nothing.

"Will you not keep me company tonight?" A man in a silk vest, with several gold necklaces pompously asked her, not bothering to even wait until they were alone. The dancer turned her eyes upon the leader of this particular group, her eyes were not kind. _As if I would ever want to spend an evening with you. _She thought coldly to herself.

Yet she bowed her head ever-so-slightly and said, "If it would please you, my Lord."

Excited the man jumped up and grabbed her arm, leading her away from the room as his men cheered and shouted their encouragement to their leader. Some of the men even asked that they save her for them as well. Her eyes narrowed and she was glad for the veil that covered her face, if not the Leader would have seen her look of disgust and the anger that flickered within her eyes.

Once in the leader's private chambers, he leaned her on the bed. "You do not know how much I have wanted you." He said in a husky whisper, as he bent his head down to plant slobbery kisses along her neck. When she shivered in disgust, he took it for pleasure and began to trace kisses down her arm. "So beautiful you are. You cannot imagine how tortuous it was for me to watch you entertain my men."

As he uttered these last words, the man suddenly found himself thrown on his back to the floor. "What are you doing?" He asked, his gaze unable to meet hers as he continued to stare at her bare midriff.

"Let me please you, my Lord. **I** will find it much more pleasurable." She responded airily, makung the man smile. However the smile was cut short as she sat astride him and with a deft movement placed a piece of tape over his mouth. Then with a flick of her wrists, water formed shackles, pinning him to the ground as he struggled to break free.

When she was sure that he was securely in place, she pulled off the veil and the men let out a mangled gasp. "Surprised?" She asked as she traced a finger along his jaw, which quivered in fear at her touch. "Did you really think I would let you get away with murdering my brother and then handing over my best friend to Lord Ozai?"

Sweat beads began to form on the man's head, his eyes desperately pleading with her to spare him. She let out a hollow laugh. "Spare you? I think not." The man's eyes widened in terror as she placed her hand against his chest and it began to glow blue. "I wonder how it feels to die of dehydration?" She asked curiously, her eyes smiling coldly.

She watched as the body underneath her lost all of its fluids, his skin began to crumble into dust, his eyes began to shrink, and in the end the only thing that was left of him was his skeleton and the fancy, over gaudy clothing he had been wearing.

Katara stood up and dusted the dust off her body. _May you rot in hell, you bastard._ She stood up and exited the room taking a small candle with her. Keeping close to the shadows, she made her way, without a problem, back outside. With purpose, she turned a corner, knelt down next to a piece of frayed rope, and taking the candle, she lit it.

Two minutes later, as she reached the top of a distant hill, there was a loud explosion, and she watched as the mansion exploded and bits of it went flying everywhere. Revenge was sweet.

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Prince Zuko quickly swallowed down the food his Iroh had managed to buy them with the winnings from the py-sho games. While he ate, Iroh sat on a stool, looking at his nephew and sipping a cup of Jasmine tea. "Hungry aren't you?"

"I was starving!" Prince Zuko managed to exclaim through a mouthful of the chicken he was eating. He swallowed. "I was waiting for you for hours! You could of told me where you were!"

"I did not think it would take so long, my nephew. Next time you should just come along with me and I can teach you the art of py-sho and-"

"Damn it, Uncle! I do not want to learn the art of py-sho! I want to regain my honor! I want to be able to wear the colors of my nation! I don't want to spend the rest of my life in disgrace!" Prince Zuko burst out. His fist slamming the table for emphasis each time he finished a sentence.

"And how do you suppose we regain your honor? The Avatar has been captured and Fire Lord Ozai is slowly stomping out the rest of the resistance," Iroh said patiently. "I do not mean to crush your hopes, but it is time you realize that the life you once lived is no more. Rather than trying to live in the past, you need to make the most of what you have right now."

"I have nothing." Zuko said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Then perhaps you should make something, my Nephew." Iroh stood up and slowly made his way over to a haystack in the corner of the empty barn that they were in. He plopped down, laid on his side, and rolled over so that his back was facing Zuko.

For a moment, Zuko watched the rise and fall of his Uncle's chest, until he stood up and walked outside into the night air. He looked up and saw the stars shining bright. _Maybe...maybe Uncle is right..._

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Katara pulled off her cloak as she entered the cave she had been calling "home" for the past year and a half. The cave itself was comprised of several different chambers, each connected through a small gap. She entered the first chamber and then squeezed into the next chamber which was much bigger than the next. On one side of the cavern was her sleeping roll with pelts of fur, which she had skinned herself, piled on top. On the other side, was a makeshift vanity, which she had constructed of wood and a mirror she had gotten from one of her admiring fans, and a bunch of personal items she kept in a wooden chest that she had carved out of an oak tree.

As she passed from this chamber and into the next, she grabbed a bar of soap and a ruff towel . In the next chamber, there were carcasses of deer, rabbits, and varying types of animal carcasses frozen in cubes of ice. She strode through this chamber as well, her stride full of purpose.

When she entered the last largest chamber, she couldn't help but smile. This chamber was her favorite due to the huge natural lake located in the center of it. Katara immediately strode down to its shore and, dropping her belongings beside her, she began to bend the water into a circular depression in the cavern's floor, creating a small pool of water.

Once done, Katara stripped off her cloak and the scanty dancer outfit she was wearing, then submerged herself up to her shoulders in the ice cold water. Although Katara let a small shiver pass through her, she ignored it, and instead turned her attention to vigorously scrubbing her skin clean where that mongrel had touched her earlier. When done, she brought her clean hands up from the water and stared at them. _No, they're not clean; they're stained in blood._ A sad glint came into her eyes as she thought of how much she had changed.

Gone was her childhood pettiness and immaturity, and in its place was a ruthless cold-hearted woman bent on revenge. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the unshed tears glistening at the corner of her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were as cold as ice.

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Thanks for reading the first chapter! Please Review! 


	2. Dancing With Fire

Disclaimer: No, unfortunately I do not own the Avatar...

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CHAPTER 2: Dancing with Fire 

"Uncle what are you doing?" Zuko asked as he approached his uncle who sat playing a game of py-sho with a man in gaudy red robes. Zuko made a quick scan of the man's features, surprised to see a congenial smiling face, and quickly turned a scowl to his uncle.

"Ah, Aou!" Iroh said, using the fake name they had agreed to use in public. He then stood up, grabbed Zuko (Aou) by the shoulders and led him over to the py-sho table. Gesturing to his opponent, his uncle said, "I'd like you to meet Lord Kai-Sho, a most generous man and a very talented py-sho player!"

"Come now Roh, you exaggerate!" The man said, waving it off as he stood up to shake Zuko's (Aou) hand. Zuko took the man's hand and was surprised by the strength he felt in the grasp. "Your Uncle, is a most excellent py-sho player. When I heard rumors of a py-sho genius, I had to come find out for myself, and indeed, it seems the rumors were true!" His arms gestured to the board where clearly Iroh had won.

"I see," was all Zuko said, before his Uncle nudged him and he continued, "My Uncle is indeed a genius at py-sho. However, he has yet to enlighten me with any of his skills." Zuko somehow managed to grind the words out in a somewhat pleasant conversational tone.

The man laughed jovially at Zuko's words and said with a wink, "I am sure your Uncle would not want to have any competition." He then turned to Iroh and said, "Would you not come and join me for dinner tonight? I have a most wonderful house by the bank of the Tan-Kou River."

Before Zuko could utter a polite denial, his Uncle beat him to it and said with a small bow of his head, "We would be honored."

"Most wonderful!" The man exclaimed collecting his py-sho pieces and standing up. "Then I shall see you at sundown." With that he turned and walked away.

Iroh bowed his head as the man walked away, before he felt an iron grip on his shoulder. "Why did you accept? If we're found out-"

"Do not worry, my nephew. That man is oblivious to all except himself and the showing of his wealth. Besides, this means we shall have a comfortable place to stay the night as well as having some good food." Iroh replied with a carefree smile, which widened further when he heard Zuko's stomach growl.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea…"

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Katara slipped the dancing costume onto her body and fastened the veil about her face. She ran her fingers through her hair, then donned her cloak and shoes. Through a contact in the city who handled all of her business, Katara had found out earlier in the day that she had yet another "performance" tonight. And although she was still tired from the previous night's activities she moved quickly and methodically, making sure that she had everything she needed. She double-checked to make sure her hood was all the way up, and the knives that were strapped to her thighs were in place. Then she resolutely headed down the mountain in the afternoon sun.

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They met the "nobleman" at sundown, at his overly zealous mansion, where they were ushered into one of the entertainment guest rooms. Zuko took a brief, yet thorough, inspection of the room. The center of the room was empty, probably to make room for the entertainers, and around the perimeter place mats had been set up where, already, many of the places were taken by loud robust men. Zuko's eyes narrowed. They were Fire nation soldiers.

"Welcome!" Lord Kai-Shou said loudly as he made his appearance and entered the room from another entrance. Spotting Iroh and Zuko, he gestured for them to take the two places to his right, the one directly to the right considered the seat of honor.

"I am honored." Iroh (Roh) said as he inclined his head to Lord Kai-Shou and took his seat. Zuko took the seat to the right of his Uncle.

"Nonsense!" Lord Kai-Shou exclaimed, "It is only fitting that the man who bested me be seated at my right hand!"

After Zuko gave a brief welcome to him as well, Lord Kai-Shou stood up and said to the group of twenty men, "Let us feast both our eyes and mouths upon the bountiful wealth of my great house!" Men all around the room cheered and immediately the sliding doors slid open and twenty women bearing trays laden with food shuffled in. Each one shuffled to the front of a man, kneeled, placed the tray in front of him, and bowed low, their foreheads pressing against the floor.

Once the customary introduction was concluded, each woman gathered around a man, hoping that they would be able to convince him to keep her as a lover and receive many gifts in return for their services.

Immediately, the room became loud as men talked amongst one another and the women openly flirted. When the woman next to Zuko (Aou) shuffled over to his side and began to introduce herself, he held up his hand, and said, "Leave me alone. I have no wish for your company." The girl was about to get up and run away, a hint of tears glinting in her eyes, before his uncle took her by surprise, pulling her down beside him as he talked to Lord Kai-Shou. The woman was almost immediately all smiles as Iroh's congenial manner and hilarious humor took its effect upon her.

Zuko, ignored by his Uncle, merely listened to the conversations of the men around him, choosing to partake in none of them. He found out that some of the men there were doctors or famous surgeons, while others were prominent fisherman and metal workers; the man even had invited some of his own personal guard. And of course there were the Fire nation soldiers in the far corner of the room. Zuko thanked god that both he and his Uncle had grown out their hair, disguising themselves from whom they once used to be. As Zuko's nerves settled and he began to grow uninterested in the happenings around him, Zuko turned his attention to the cup of miso soup he held in his hand and tried to make out his reflection. And although Zuko could barely make his features out, he knew what he would see there anyway.

His eyes were the same gold as they had always been, his scar was covered up with a special makeup they had managed to get their hands on, and his now long hair was tied into a ponytail. He had dark bags beneath his tired eyes and his stomach ached. Without another thought, he began to swallow down the food as politely as he could.

A half an hour later, after the plates had been cleared and the drinks re-filled, the fires went out, immersing the room in darkness and hushing the last of the voices. Suddenly the slide doors opened and in strode a group of musicians, who immediately went to a corner of the room and began to play a slow lilting tune. Most of the breaths in the room were held as they waited for what would happen next.

Suddenly, a pair slide doors opened from the far end if the room with a bang, yet no one was able to see the features of the mystery person because the lights still remained unlit. Then a circle of candles lit up the floor in a three foot diameter and Zuko was gifted with a most wondrous sight.

Zuko, who had never been affected by the thoughts of a woman, stared as the veiled woman began to roll and shake her body to the music; at first starting out slow and seductive, then picking up the pace as the music's pace began to increase. Her smooth skin showed through the various holes and rips, purposefully sewn into the outfit; yet she wore a black veil across her face, as if afraid to show herself. Zuko noticed he wasn't the only one who had been entranced by this woman, all the other men in the room were watching with slack jaws, the other women merely glared at the dancer with jealous daggers of hate.

Zuko watched her fluid movements and felt something in him stir. _She seems so familiar. _He watched her hips sway from left to right. _Who is she? _Now that he thought about it, her movements were too fluid, too precise. In fact, it almost reminded him of an assassin. _An assassin! _Zuko narrowed his eyes as he watched her. _Could she possibly be an assassin sent by Azula to capture me…Or maybe she's just here to kill me… _Zuko's senses immediately went to full alert; all the while never noticing how the saki in his cup and in every other man's cup, swirled in time with the movements of the dancer's body.

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Well that is the end of the second chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and if you think the characters aren't true to the real Avatar, then please let me know! Read and Review! 


	3. Destined Meeting

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own The Avatar. Bursts into tears.

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**Chapter 3: Destined Meeting**

When the dance was finished, Katara received gracious compliments, some lewd, others desperate, yet all fell on deaf ears. Almost as soon as the dance was finished, a servant opened a door and beckoned her through it. Katara exited the room and followed the servant down a series of twisting hallways until she was shown to a side chamber and told to wait. She surveyed her surroundings and scowled. The room was made mostly out of cherrywood. There was a small table and around it various pillows and cushions. She was only supposed to be getting paid, but the room was a little too comfortable for just a business transaction. Her scowl deepened. _Why do all men think that they are such pimps?_

As she waited to be paid she kneeled on the floor, not bothering to drink out of the cup of wine the servants had left for her. After all, one never knew what might be in it.

Twenty minutes passed until finally Lord Kai-Shou walked into the room. "I'm sorry for the wait," he said as he stepped into the room and shushed the servants away. He took out a bag of money, kneeled across the table from her, and began to count coins.

"I would have waited all night for you." She replied evenly, her eyes watching his face, rather than the coins he was counting.

"Yes, I suppose patience is a part of being a performer."

"Indeed, it is."

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Zuko slowly swirled the dark wine around in his cup, as he listened to men all around the room vying to tell stories of their heroism or greatness. It reminded him of the castle life he had had when he was a child. The only thing different was that in the castle there was order, especially when in Fire Lord Ozai's presence. However, here men were loud and drunk, complete opposite to the proper manners he had been taught since childhood. In fact, it reminded him of the nights on his ship, where almost every night there had been some party of some sort. He shook his head to rid himself of the memories. _That's all gone now._

He let out a sigh and put down his cup of wine. He had drunk much too much tonight, made all too apparent by his urgent need to go to the bathroom. He looked to his Uncle to help him locate the bathroom, seeing as how Lord Kai-Shou had excused himself a moment ago, but his Uncle was deeply engaged in telling a story of mythical proportions. _Great, another one of Uncle's stories, I guess I'll have to find the bathroom myself. _

Zuko got up and walked out of the room, searching for the bathroom. After a minute of searching he found himself lost. Zuko looked around, but there was not a servant in sight. _Great…_

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"Would you not like to stay the night?" Kai-Shou asked the dancer as he slowly recounted the dancer's profit.

"I have other plans for this evening." The dancer replied smoothly, her eyes hardening.

"That's a shame." Kai-Shou said sadly. "A damn shame…"

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After a couple of minutes of walking around, Zuko finally found the bathroom towards the rear of the house. Once he relieved himself, he stepped out of the hall and looked both ways. _Shit. How did I get here?_

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"It's a shame you can't stay and perhaps give me a private performance." Lord Kai-Shou said with sarcastic sadness. "I would pay you more." He slowly brought the pouch up from hs side, intending to show her what she could obtain for a simple night's worth of pleasure.

Katara grimaced behind the veil, her hand steadily reaching down to her side where her water flask was hidden. She unhooked it from her belt. "No thank you."

Just as Katara was about to uncork her bottle, Kai-Shou leaped across the table, landing on top of her and sending the flask spinning to the far corner of the room. _Shit!_ She struggled to release herself from the man's weight, but he was too heavy.

"If you won't stay willingly, then I'll just have to take you by force!" He tore at her outfit, trying to rip her pants off. Not wanting to attract anyone's attention, Katara remained silent, doing her best to get him off of her. _Damn this fat bastard!_

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Zuko kept on walking through an unfamiliar hall. There were no servants in sight, and he wondered why on earth he was in this place. He turned the corner only to see a light on in a room. _Maybe someone can tell me how to get back to the main hall._

He stepped close to the paper wall and peeked through a crack in the sliding doors, only to see the dancer and Lord Kai-Shou stripping one another. Immediately his face burned and he backed away from the door. He could see their shadows clearly through the thin paper, and wondered why on earth the two of them would engage in such an act here of all places.

Zuko made to turn around until he heard a muffled scream. _What the hell?_

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Katara panted as she finally managed to throw him off of her and stood. Her eyes immediately searched for her flask, mentally cursing to herself as she noticed how Kai-Shou was blocking her way to it. _I guess I'm going to have to do this the hard way. _

He charged once more at her, and Katara dodged neatly out of the way, coming up from behind and knocking him to the floor. Before he could fully regain his senses, she leaned over, placed her hand on his mouth, and made it so that if he moved his arm even a centimeter, she would break it.

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Zuko turned around and made his way back to the room, only to find the girl now on top of Kai-Shou, holding her hand over his mouth and pinning his other arm down.

"I've been waiting for this." The dancer said leaning full into Kai-Shou's face. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

_Is this some sort of fetish?_ Zuko tried to think. He had heard rumors about different ways to pleasure a person. Was this one of them?

He got his answer as he watched the dancer move forward and instead of using her hand to pin him down, she used her legs. With her hands now free, she cradled Kai-Shou's head in her hands, and lifted the veil. "Do you remember me?"

Kai-Shou sputtered a bunch of gibberish and his eyes went significantly wider. Curious Zuko tried to get a look at the dancer's face, but couldn't since she was facing away from him. He watched as she let the veil fall back into place and put her other hand around Kai-Shou's head. Then with little effort, she snapped his head from his spine. _I knew it!_

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Katara stood up and stared at the dead body, her eyes hardened with hatred. _Another one down. _Just as she bent to collect her money she heard the door open behind her.

"Guards!" A familiar male voice screamed. Without looking back she ran. When she got to the nearest window she hurled herself out of it and continued running, the thump of footsteps still behind her. _Shit! Who is this guy?_

She turned a corner quickly, pulled out a piece of flint, lit the rope she had planted earlier, and then got up. The footsteps had ceded. _Does that mean I lost him?_ Katara cautiously peered around the corner. No one was in sight. _Good! _

Suddenly something jumped from the roof right behind her and tried to pin her arms behind her back. Unable to use her arms, Katara managed to turn towards the wall and pushing against it with her weight, managing to make the two of them fall backwards. The man grunted as his back met the ground his breath going out of him.

In the time it took for him to regain it, Katara was already up and running to the nearby bridge that crossed the river.

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Zuko got up and was about to continue chasing her, when suddenly there was a huge explosion from behind him. _What was that?_ He looked at the girl who had made it across the bridge, her costume practically torn off, yet he could still see her shining blue eyes even from the distance, they were mocking him. She had won and he knew it.

Zuko turned back to the building and noticed where the fire was coming from. _Shit! The main hall! Uncle! _Zuko ran back towards the main hall, knowing he would meet the dancer again.

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There. Finally the third chapter is up! I hope you enjoyed it! R&R!


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